Hey! I am in the process of planning my next trip and wondered if anyone had any advice. On my previous backpacking trip (and think this is a common problem for many people) I packed quite a few items that I thought would be really useful but actually I never used them and they just ended up being a burden to carry. So I was wondering if anyone had a no bull***t packing list for someone travelling this region (Mexico down to Peru) for 6 - 9 months. Sadly I don't know what time of the year I will be going because of the pandemic but hopefully the items will stay roughly the same depending on the time of the year I am able to go. I will be doing the usual backpacker stuff, beaches, a bit of hiking, outdoor activities and having a good time!
Items that I'm most unsure about are a raincoat. Do I need both a raincoat and warm ultra thin/light jacket for hiking (not sure how much hiking I will do)
Trainers (or just flip flops cause that's all I wore even for hikes on my last 8 month trip)
My main concern is having to carry unnecessary weight around or have to abandon items!
So some advice would be much appreciated!
It would really depend on if you are chasing the sun and sticking to the coast but there are so many mountain towns you'll want to visit so pack layers + layers!
But I would say just pack for different situations, you'll of course want hot beach clothes so shorts etc. but also some warmer clothes for the cooler regions, it gets chilly at night - a thin jumper and long sleeve tops to layer, workout leggings for hiking, trainers etc. And also something nice for the evenings. I'd take 3 pairs of shoes - trainers (hiking), sandals (evening) and flipflops. I would take a waterproof jacket for sure - just a thin lightweight one will come in useful for the tropical weather. I packed all of these things and found them all really good, but you can also pick things up along the way so don't worry if you haven't packed everything!
This PDF is the packing list that I send to my students when I take them on a study abroad trip to a field school in the Ecuadorian Amazon for a couple months each summer break. Some things on it of course only really apply to students but I think it could be helpful for you too!
One thing just looking through it quickly that I will say is that I know use tiger balm as both insect repellent AND for anti-itch and it works great and saves space!
I haven't travelled further South than Colombia but I would always say both a raincoat and trainers are an absolute must!! You never know when you're going to get caught in the rain and there are also some activities which specifically require closed-toe shoes and hiking in the mountains especially of Ecuador and Peru will be very very chilly! So I'd say yes to the jacket as well personally.
I had all of these items with me in my 40L backpack and didn't feel they were a burden at all :)